Young children with persistent severe obesity could have half average life expectancy, study finds

The study looked at variables including the age of obesity onset, duration, severity and a measure of the irreversible risks. Photograph: Jerome Maurice/Getty Images

Children who are severely obese could have just half the average life expectancy if they don’t lose weight in adulthood, according to a study.

Research suggests that a severely obese four-year-old boy has a life expectancy of 39, half that of a boy the same age with a healthy weight in the UK.